Embarrassment seen as a sign of many virtues

SOCIAL SCIENCE

Debra Levi Holtz, Special to the Chronicle

Published
4:00 am PDT, Friday, November 4, 2011

A new UC Berkeley study authored by Matthew Feinberg, (left) a UC Berkeley doctoral student and co-authored by UC Berkeley social psychologist, Robb Willer, meet in Willer's office on campus, in Berkeley, Ca., on Tuesday October 25, 2011. The study published online this month in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology finds people who display embarrassment at life's missteps have reason to appreciate their inherent bashfulness. less

A new UC Berkeley study authored by Matthew Feinberg, (left) a UC Berkeley doctoral student and co-authored by UC Berkeley social psychologist, Robb Willer, meet in Willer's office on campus, in Berkeley, Ca., ... more

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

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A new UC Berkeley study authored by Matthew Feinberg, (left) a UC Berkeley doctoral student and co-authored by UC Berkeley social psychologist, Robb Willer, meet in Willer's office on campus, in Berkeley, Ca., on Tuesday October 25, 2011. The study published online this month in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology finds people who display embarrassment at life's missteps have reason to appreciate their inherent bashfulness. less

A new UC Berkeley study authored by Matthew Feinberg, (left) a UC Berkeley doctoral student and co-authored by UC Berkeley social psychologist, Robb Willer, meet in Willer's office on campus, in Berkeley, Ca., ... more

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

Embarrassment seen as a sign of many virtues

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Whooshing along a zip line in the Santa Cruz Mountains on a recent weekend scared Amy Zhang so much that she broke into tears in front of her friends, who rushed to capture the moment by snapping photos. That fuss caused Zhang to experience another emotion: embarrassment.

"I asked my friends to give me some alone time and not look at me until I recovered from the emotional breakdown and cleaned up myself a bit," said Zhang, a San Francisco hedge fund administrator who had chosen to soar 50 feet over the redwood forest hooked to a cable despite her fear of heights. "I've always been perceived by my friends as a brave and independent person, so having that breakdown moment may not be a big deal for some, but it certainly was for me."

Embarrassment is often experienced as a negative emotion, most often evoked after committing a social faux pas. But a new UC Berkeley study published online in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology finds that people who display embarrassment at life's missteps have reason to appreciate their inherent bashfulness.

"People who tend to be easily embarrassed are perceived by others as more generous, cooperative and trustworthy," said Matthew Feinberg, the study's lead author and a doctoral student in psychology.

And that perception turns out to be correct, Feinberg said. The research suggests that people who experience frequent and intense bouts of embarrassment demonstrate more pro-social behaviors like reliability, caring about the welfare of others and commitment to social relationships.

"It's not all that bad to be embarrassed because it's a signal to other people that you have good virtues," he said.

The conclusions came after a series of experiments with Berkeley undergraduates and people recruited nationwide through Craigslist. The study's authors used surveys rating altruistic tendencies, videotaped recollections of embarrassing moments, and economic games to measure trust and generosity.

In one experiment, participants observed photos of actors with facial poses that exhibited pride, neutrality and embarrassment. Observers viewed the actors who displayed embarrassment as more trustworthy and expressed greater interest in affiliating with them.

Perhaps most surprising to the study's authors was that those who get red-faced in awkward social situations also tend to embrace monogamy in romantic relationships. What's more, no significant differences were found in reactions between genders despite the perception that women are more prone to embarrassment.

Robb Willer, a social psychologist who teaches in the UC Berkeley sociology department and co-authored the study, said the findings offer practical advice for anyone seeking people with whom to work or spend time.

"Someone who does not get easily flustered might not be as easy to work with. And for dating purposes, where trust is a big factor, embarrassment can be the emotional signature of a reliable person," said Willer. He added that people who show little embarrassment are, on average, more egoistic and self-interested.

The study's conclusions ring true to Zhang because she said embarrassment-prone people like herself care about their reputations and are conscious about how others perceive them.

Zhang said she finds humiliating moments in public to be "haunting."

"I'm easily embarrassed by moments where I find that I am falling out of my usual image," she said.